Hi David,
At the UT Gardens, we share a Plant of the Month article every month of the year. We (our staff across the state and other trusted experts) rotate and select our chosen plants or plant families a couple years ahead of time. Usually, we try to put out an article about plants that people will start seeing in bloom/fruit/planting time, etc. in the following month or two.
Feel free to check out our articles here.
Here is a link to one I wrote as an example.
My biggest recommendation is to start taking photos of whatever you like in the garden and saving them somewhere besides just your phone. This way, you know you'll have good pictures to share with folks when you highlight a plant- it gives them an idea of what to look for. And, this helps you plan what you would like to highlight in the future.
Obviously, for kids, the image would be helpful. Teaching your students how to understand plant names and families will pay dividends, too. For example, understanding what a "cole crop" is gives children and adults an idea for what could be planted/eaten in the cooler months as compared to hot summer months when those plants don't grow.
Hope this helps spark some more ideas!
------------------------------
Whitney Hale
Education Coordinator
University of Tennessee Gardens, Knoxville
------------------------------
Original Message:
Sent: 07-26-2023 12:43:46 PM
From: David Hopman
Subject: Plant of the Month
Hi all! I'm thinking about adding a "plant of the month" component to our school garden program and wanted to ask for ideas from those of you who might do that already. I can imagine choosing something that is in season makes sense, in addition to some information about the food, how it is used in various recipes, and a tasting. Any other ideas out there? Thanks!
------------------------------
David Hopman
------------------------------